Thank you Net Galley and Penguin Group for a chance to read this book in advance. This book was a cozy read, the book takes place late winter/early spring where there is still snow on the ground, perfect cold weather read. I fell in love with the characters, Emmy and Grayson. An enemies to lovers trope which had some predictable sections and some spicy sections. The only thing I was disappointed was they glossed over their initial disagreement when they were teens. I feel it affected Emmy a lot (in her career and emotionally) but as she and Grayson start falling for each other she doesn't emphasize what a big deal it was to her. Otherwise, this is a fun, heartwarming read.

Happy Valentine's Day, babes! Thank you to Penguin Group for the eARC and PRH Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I love Falon Ballard and I will ALWAYS download her books immediately. While this one wasn't my favorite, it was exactly what I was looking for at the moment. A cute, fun, quick weekend read and I will absolutely recommend it to readers who enjoy Hollywood/celebrity romances. It kept me engaged and laughing, not to mention I really loved both characters. And the spice. A+. 🥰

The third act break-up? Hated. But I'm glad they found their way back to each other. I also wasn't a huge fan of the audiobook, but a good option for those who enjoy it.

This was my third book by the author, after Lease on Love and Just My Type. I loved the chemistry between the characters in this, I feel the author writes chemistry really well, I felt that in the other books too. I also loved the setting of the book as well as seeing the on set vibes versus off the set. I enjoyed the descriptions about the film industry and how different the industry was for the main characters, one having grown up in the spotlight while the other came into it by choice.

My favorite thing about this book was the mother-daughter relationship. And even the father-daughter relationship that we got even if it was just through her memories. Reading about such great family relationships was really comforting and I really loved the banter and wit in Emmy and her mother's conversations.

My one big issue with the book was the third act break up and how unnecessary it felt. I also felt that Emmy and Liz friendship felt very on and off because it didn't feel like they were friends at all when they were on set and only felt like it in the parts of the book that were in LA (basically the beginning of the book and the third act.)

Overall, I enjoyed it and read it really quickly in two sittings. I enjoy the author's writing style and while I didn't enjoy this one as much as I enjoyed her previous books, I am looking forward to her future works.

3.5 stars^

This book reminded me somewhat of one of my favorites, The Hating Game. Emmy and Grayson have a past that neither one has forgotten. When Emmy writes a rom-com, the last person she wants to play the love interest opposite of her is her nemesis. The one boy that humiliated her all those years ago and left her struggling to regain her confidence, now he's here and he's as salty as ever.
I really wish we got some of Grayson's POV because when they finally confront each other, the things he says I didn't really notice because I had been seeing things only from Emmy's POV, but they all seemed so valid. I would have loved to see things from his perspective, but I also loved the tension it created not knowing.
I thought the back and forth between the two and the push and pull was just perfect. I got a little emotional even towards the end. 4.5 stars.
Thank you to Penguin, Netgalley and Falon Ballard for an early copy.

This book was simply adorable! It was enemies to lovers but so much cuter. Emmy, a nepo baby screenwriter, finds herself in her own personal nightmare - having to star in movie she wrote the screenplay for opposite her former costar. The same costar who made her nearly swear off acting all together.
There’s definitely spice, which that alone is five stars. The additional layers of the character’s histories and the small town that they are filming in? TAKE ME OUT IM READY BABES.
Definitely would recommend to anyone who has been forced to work with a situationship. Falon answered the age old question - do I want to kiss or smack you?

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.

Thank you Putnam for the ebook, PRH audio influencer program for the audiobook.

Right on Cue is a like for me but also a bit of a miss. this book has everything I tend to really enjoy in a romcom, hollywood themes, second chance/enemies to lovers vibes, and behind the scenes movie/tv themes. It just never quite... took off for me. I think what I needed was a bit more background/history for the reason the main characters were at odds, a lot of that left me wondering how that lead to such, to me, immature behavior from Grayson during the filming of the movie and what was really going on. The third act miscommunication break up just also felt a little too much for me; I am, all for tropes, trust me, but I don't love miscommunication and this felt more like forcing a trope than letting it be part of how a plot was unfolding. The chemistry does work, there are a lot of moments when the book is fun, but this one never leaves the friend zone level of rating for me.

random note for audiobook lovers:
I also note that I tend to love romcoms and romance reads on audiobook but, through no fault of the narrators, the constant way Emmy would refer to Grayson in her head as Grayson "Effing" West got on my last nerve, it was a lot in the earlier parts of the book and despite being a frequent use of effing myself, it was off putting to keep hearing it over and over. Sometimes things just stick out differently when listening versus reading, this was one of those books that for me ended up working less well on audio perhaps because of some of the writing and how it landed as a listener versus reader. I switched to the ebook and enjoyed the book more that way.

Thank you so much @PutnamBooks for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 27 February 2024)

SYNOPSIS | Emmy is a screenwriter who has been convinced by her director best friend to play the lead role in her latest romantic comedy movie. She however hasn't acted in over a decade and when the casted male lead pulls out at the last minute, she is faced with his replacement (Grayson) who she blames for ending her acting career.

WHAT I LIKED:
- behind the scenes look into filming a movie
- second chance vibes (also kinda enemies to lovers)
- cozy small-town Hallmark-esque setting
- Emmy's relationship with her mother

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- the third act breakup (lack of communication at its finest)
- would have appreciated Grayson's POV to understand him & his motivations more

This was cute and an enjoyable story. However, i wish that we got a bit more information about the characters history. But it did not ruin the book for me. I enjoyed the characters together and the storyline very much.

As much as I was taken with the premise of Right on Cue, it unfortunately fell a bit flat for me. The character development at the beginning of the book felt very rushed, and for the first act I was wishing that I had more insight into the history of our main characters, Emmy and Grayson, as well as more understanding of Grayson's attitude and actions.

As the story progressed, I did really enjoy how the relationship between Emmy and Grayson deepened and matured, and when the third-act began I thought the tension and concerns between them felt realistic and would make for an exciting final act of the book. I truly don't mind the miscommunication trope (it's realistic and can be very effective!), but in this case, I ultimately found it to be predictable and frustrating.

In the end, I wanted a bit more from this book. Though it had really great moments and nice punches of spice throughout, I felt like some parts of the emotional journey were rushed and slightly too shallow for my liking (I'm a character deep-dive kind of girl, what can I say!). Ultimately, this is a quintessential romance that follows all the usual conventions (and there's nothing wrong with that!) so if that's precisely what you're looking for, then give it a go!

Hollywood Celebrity Showmance
Enemies to Costars with Benefits to....
Forced Proximity
Tension and Banter
Mixed media tabloids, articles and interviews from the press (chapter breaks)
Open Door Steam

Emmy and Grayson first met as co-stars as teens on a movie that tanked. They each blamed the other and have sense spent decades avoiding one another in the industry with Emmy landing as an esteemed screen writer and Grayson becoming an action-hero star. When Emmy's latest rom-com project sets to be filmed in a dreamy snowy inn, the director convinces her to step in as the leading lady after casting issues. What she doesn't foresee is Grayson landing the male main character role. These two spend their first weeks on set together fighting and tanking their scenes despite their annoying physical tension. When they both decide the only way to work together to save the movie is to become costars with benefits things start to improve drastically. But as the weeks progress the two resolve the miscommunication that started their feud and they learn to trust and become more vulnerable with one another. But can this new showmance survive when the movie wraps and they return to LA and all that surrounds a relationship under the paparazzi microscope??

I really enjoyed both characters! They both were sarcastic and quick-witted and refused to back down from one another which made for some super fun 'fights' and eventually to pants-melting steam. I loved all the behind the scenes looks at staging, filming, and promoting a blockbuster movie, and the idyllic snowy inn was the perfect backdrop for a forced proximity romance. I'm such a sucker for 'he falls first and harder' and Grayson really delivers a vulnerable performance. Towards the end I pretty much wanted to shake Emmy silly but she worked through her own insecurities eventually.

Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons publishing for my e-arc, and PRH Audio for my e-alc in exchange for my review.

Emmy Harper was known as one of the best writers in the romantic comedy world. She took some time off, swearing that she would never write another romantic comedy again. She finally got the courage and push that she needed to continue.

Filming is starting to begin. Emmy finally decided she was going to become an actress and take a starring role in a movie. One problem, her co-star had backed out, and the only star available was Grayson West, her arch nemesis. Emmy blames him for her first movie flopping so she does not have a good feeling about this movie.

I gave it four stars because I felt Emmy had this animosity toward Grayson for a big chunk of the story. I felt it went on for a bit too long, but this is a spicy enemies-to-lovers story with a great ending!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Such a sweet, light romcom! Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite tropes and this was such a cute read. The spice was well used throughout the book and while on the mild side, it was perfectly weaved into the story. My only main critique was the miscommunication but the redemption made it worth it.

Rating: 3.75/5
Steam: 3/5
Warnings: death of a parent, difficult family dynamics

Thank you Putnam, PRH Audio and NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

Things I loved: Overall, I found this book to be a solid read. It evoked similar vibes to titles like Will They or Won't They and Love Scenes, which I thoroughly enjoyed. One of the highlights for me was the portrayal of the characters. Their genuine communication and willingness to open up about their insecurities felt authentic and relatable. I particularly appreciated Emmy's dynamic with her mother, as it resonated deeply with my own experiences. The charming Hallmark-esque setting added to the overall appeal, and the side characters were well-developed and engaging. This was also the spiciest of her novels and I was here for that part. and forehead kisses.

Things I Didn't Love:

(Spoiler Alert)

One aspect that detracted from my enjoyment was the third act drama, mostly the scene where Emmy overhears Grayson at the premiere. While I understand her initial reaction of running away, I found it frustrating that she didn't confront him or discuss what she heard. This lack of communication struck me as immature, especially considering the growth both characters had undergone. Additionally, Emmy's lingering grudge against Grayson for a childhood incident felt unnecessary and prolonged. It took her a significant portion of the book to move past it, which slightly diminished my opinion of her character.

Another aspect that didn't quite resonate with me was the focus on the physical aspect of their relationship . While I didn't hate this, it diverged from my expectations based on the author's previous works.

Emmy is a Hollywood nepo baby that’s worked behind the scenes as a screenwriter ever since a horrible acting experience with her first crush, Greyson West. Ever since, she’s stuck to writing rom-coms and avoided acting in every way, until her latest movie requires her to finally step back in the limelight. Luckily, she gets along great with the casted male lead and has little hesitance taking on the role. At the last minute, the male lead injures himself and the role is recasted, with Grayson West. Emmy has always held animosity towards him after he humiliated and embarrassed her all those years ago, how will she ever pretend to fall in love with him?

Honestly, I ate up Right on Cue - absolutely devoured it whole and licked my fingers afterwards. I loved how the author didn’t ignore Emmy’s faults and Grayson wasn’t just the typical, two dimensional himbo a lot of mmcs are in romances. The third act breakup completely wrecked me, especially after the press conference. I kind of hated there was a break up at all, especially since Emmy brags that their relationship isn’t a rom-com, so she wasn’t waiting for the other shoe to drop, when in reality, she was. I appreciated the narrative that another person shouldn’t make you feel worthy, and I really did enjoy this book!

Thank you Putnam’s Sons, NetGalley, and the author for providing an early copy, I’m leaving this review voluntarily.

Emmy Harper is an Oscar writing screenwriter. Grayson is a movie action hero. In order for her latest movie to be made, Emmy reluctantly agrees to be the female lead. When the male lead drops out due to injuries, Grayson is brought in without Emmy's knowledge. Emmy has avoided Grayson since they were in a movie together as teenagers, but the attraction is still there. Working together is not Hollywood magic and something has to change. I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher through Netgalley. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. I really enjoyed reading this book. It's amusing, romantic and steamy.

I picked up this book because I really loved Falon Ballard last release "Just My Type", and I was hoping for yet another fun romcom. I ended up being royally dissapointed though. This just didn't work for me, and I really wanted it to. This has several of my favourite tropes so I was almost sure it was going to work for me but it just didn't.
The set up for this book was decent. I liked our main character, I thought the history between our main character and her love interest was well explained, and I could really feel the mixed emotions between them. I also liked the cast of side characters, and the setting of a small town mixed with a movie set was really fun as well. However, I very quickly got turned of by the love interest, Grayson. He was just an ass. I can't say it any other way. I feel like this book would have benefited from having his POV. I just never felt like I had a grasp on who he is or what he's feeling. So his switch from being an ass to a nice boyfriend who has loved our main character from the start just feels off to me.
The whole romance just didn't work for me. Yes, there was some sexual tension between them, but that's where it ends. Even our main character's switch from "I hate him, but I'm kind of attracted to him" to "I'm madly in love" is kind of abrupt and underdeveloped. Therefore I just didn't end up caring about them. The third act conflict, and resolution were also just extremely lackluster and felt a bit unnececary. I didn't absolutely hate my time reading this book, but it definitely ended up being a massive let down.

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

Reviews for RIGHT ON CUE are somewhat mixed, and, in my opinion, for good reason. Fallon Ballard has two well received romances on her shelf, and I had high hopes for her next book– but unfortunately this one fell flat for me.

The miscommunication trope is almost never well received by readers; and I was definitely not a fan of its repeated use, especially in the last part of the book. Additionally, the MMC was unexpectedly rude for the first few chapters, and I just couldn’t warm up to him even after the romance started.

While this one wasn’t my favorite, I’m still looking forward to Ballard’s next book.

I think another really solid romcom from Ballard, it is easy to read, and a really enjoyable time. Would recommend.

3.5 Stars
Right on Cue was my first book by Falon Ballard and I really enjoyed it! It was an easy read & pretty straightforward as far as Rom Coms go.

Emmy Harper is an actor turned screenwriter who has sworn off acting because of a disaster first film when she was younger with the beloved action star, Grayson West. But when her latest project can’t find a lead actress she’s forced to act again and guess who is her leading man… you guessed it Grayson West!

While I did enjoy Right on Cue, I think it could have been better if it had a bit more depth and back-story. Maybe a few past-tense scenes building up the relationship of when Emmy & Grayson first worked together. I didn’t feel like I got to know either main character past the surface level.

Something I appreciated though is this story was fairly low drama and felt like a realistic effortless kind of love story. I’ll definitely be looking into Falon Ballard’s other books!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC of Right on Cue in exchange for an honest review.

Ooofff… where to begin.

First off, let me say, I absolutely ADORED Falon’s first two books. They were sweet, funny and relatable and I was rooting for the characters the whole way through.

Sadly, the same thing cannot be said about Right on Cue.

I had a feeling right of the bat, that I wasn’t going to vibe with Emmy. She was inconsistent and unreliable with her behavior towards Grayson, and not in the “so cute and chaotic” way. One of the notes in my arc says “Emmy is the whole joke they tell about women about asking them where to eat, and they say idk, but then say no to every option you present and then they get mad, but like her entire personality is this way” so 🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️
She goes from hating to loving Grayson in a matter of like 2 or 3 chapters (I actually mean how she talks about not being able to stand his guts to “I think I’m in love with him” like ??? BUT CONTINUES TO BE AN ABSOLUTE ASSHOLE TO HIM)

The third act break up was… just not it. I am not at all a hater of the third act breakup, but damn this one was 1) not at all on par with the progress Emmy and Grayson had made as a couple and 2) just so freaking unoriginal. Why put a third act breakup in the book just to have a third act break up like come on 😭

Grayson West is as interesting as a piece of cardboard. And he smells like charcoal and pine WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?????

The final nail in the coffin - the amount of times Emmy refers to Grayson as “Grayson fucking West” I got it the first time. She didn’t expect to have to work with him, “why is Grayson fucking west standing in front of me?” Yes it’s a reaction enhancer (is that a thing?). But would y’all like me to tell you how many times Emmy calls him Grayson FUCKING west in the book ? THIRTY FOUR TIMES !!!!! 34 !!!!! In a book with 23 chapters (this is a fact, I literally searched the word “fucking” and counted the amount of times it popped up on the list in between his first and last name. It was 34 y’all).

That’s it. I’ll def read Falons next book, because like I said, her first two were big YESes for me, but this one sadly was not